Just when you think you have worked out your TV viewing habits they go and change the rules again, making it easier and faster to see more options in ever more flexible ways. It’s hard to remember the days when a family would gather around the household TV to watch the latest episode of Eastenders, knowing that their friends at school or work were watching the same thing at the same time.
The following day’s discussions would be driven by the night’s viewing, with the annoying office bore unable to throw in any spoilers because he or she had no way of getting a few episodes ahead. Our obsession with Netflix, catch-up TV and the on-screen planner means the king of the spoiler is now getting the upper hand.
A generation ago, TV in this country was under the control of BBC and ITV, with Channel 4 a young upstart.We saw very little daytime programming (unless you were in the Open University) and a series link was something you might find on a garden fence.
The viewing revolution that was kicked off by the launch of Sky TV in 1989 continues to unfold to this day. A dazzling array of channels is available at the touch of a button, or even a mouse-click, as more and more content arrives via our ever-more stable (and faster) internet connections. More reliable broadband has also opened up new ways to deliver and watch content – Netflix & Chill, anyone?
The days of poring over the TV Times and Radio Times are long gone, as we scroll through an on-screen planner, and choose shows to record over the coming week. With the exception of some live football, I can’t remember the last time our family watched a program as it was broadcast.
One consequence of this ease of access has been the cult of the binge-watch. Couples now stay up late into the night, eagerly devouring whole series in one sitting. The recommendation of a work colleague to “get involved with Breaking Bad – you will love it!” is all it takes to ruin weeks of sleep as episode after episode is downloaded. This same colleague fails to mention that to catch up you have to get through five series and no less than 62 episodes!
But wait a minute. Is this proliferation of digital entertainment driving another nail into the coffin of family life? With the increase in the number of TVs in the house comes yet another excuse to not talk to each other. For many households, the evening meal is set against a backdrop of catch-up TV on the kitchen set. Mum and Dad then adjourn to the lounge to resume their Homeland bender. The children disappear upstairs, one to watch the latest goings on in “The Walking Dead” on his laptop, while the other seeks refuge in her iPad and yet another episode of “Pretty Little Liars”. It’s all about freedom and choice, and many families will be grateful there is no longer open warfare over who controls the remote.
An ultra-competitive market leads to more innovation. Netflix handed over control of when we watch our chosen shows by releasing every episode of a series at once. Sky is now following suit by adopting the “all episodes available now” concept for some shows, such as “The Trip to Spain” on Sky Atlantic. Whenever your appetite is whetted or a cliff-hanger leaves you wanting more you can simply press the green button and up pops the next episode.
The future for TV is bright and the changing way in which we watch will bring more innovation. Just watch out for that office bore, eager to deliver series spoilers straight to your desk!
by Ian Hine
The post What’s On TV: The Joy of Binge Watching Eps appeared first on Felix Magazine.
What’s On TV: The Joy of Binge Watching Eps posted first on http://www.felixmagazine.com/
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